Students engage in cultural lessons. (Courtesy/Mr. Mena)
The Global Scholars Experience (GSE) program at Academy began this year to promote cultural awareness and provide mentorship. In GSE, Mr. Mena and I help 17 underclassmen discover their passions and create initiatives to benefit the community.
Global Scholars is a three-year program run by the Columbus Council on World Affairs to help high schoolers explore cultural themes, increase awareness, and build collaboration skills. The first two years are lesson and activity-based, allowing students to learn about the global community and tackle pressing issues. In year three, they use the skills to develop a “Take Action” passion project about a global topic, enhancing their leadership and communication abilities.
Mr. Thompson, Mr. Mena, and I accompanied Max B., Reece G., Meera S., Thara S., Eesha T., and Lynn Y. to the first Global Scholars conference on September 26 at Franklin University. The meeting’s theme was “culture” as students from Academy, Delaware Hayes, Westerville Central, Westerville North, and Westerville South participated in discussions and activities.
The directors assigned us to one of 15 tables, dispersed among other students in groups of 8. After introductions, each table received a deck of cards and instructions for a card game—one of the rules being only nonverbal gestures for communication. We played three rounds with the winner of each table moving to the next. As the game progressed, students bickered through angry motions, making one thing clear: each table received a different set of rules to begin, forcing us to make compromises with one another. This activity mirrored the concept of culture as each community had minor differences that others learned from and adapted to.
After diving deeper into culture, we ended the morning with presentations by cultural ambassadors. Citizens from Ghana, Jordan, and Russia showcased traditions from their countries, ranging from food and entertainment to customs and taboos. Seeing their love for these cultures radiate through the images and discovering various traditions was the highlight of my day.
I left with new friends, knowledge, and a greater understanding of the world around me. Sometimes I feel trapped in an Academy bubble, submerged in schoolwork and surrounded in a reef full of other students. I love attending events like these because they expose me to new people and experiences, highlighting the sea of possibilities for the future. With other conferences on the horizon, I am eager to explore more global themes and lead a passionate group of students to create change in our community.
